Among the problems in achieving high yields of such crops are the timely sowing thereof, maintaining moisture in the soil and increasing the yield of the crops combined with ensuring maximum environmental friendliness of the produced goods.
Weed control is, as a rule, carried out by way of soil cultivation prior to sowing. However, this method does not always provide satisfactory results since only well-rooted weeds are removed by cultivation. Those plants whose seeds have only just started to germinate without forming a root system will also continue to grow after cultivation. Postponing the soil cultivation (taking into account the highest germination ability of the weeds) is not expedient from an agrotechnical point of view, since there are optimal time periods for sowing certain crops, which significantly affect the crop yields. Moreover, the process of land cultivation is also associated with an intensive depletion of the spring soil moisture reserves, which is also an unfavorable factor.
A method of increasing crop yields which includes loosening the soil and applying fertilizers (see patent RU 2 358 428), is known in the art.
A further method of increasing crop yields which includes loosening the soil, applying fertilizers, and optimizing sowing times (see patent RU 2 445 763, prototype), is also known in the art.
The common drawbacks of the known methods are their high prime costs, the complexity of the processes and the low levels of environmental friendliness due to the considerable amount of inorganic fertilizers being applied to the cropland. These have an adverse effect on the soil microflora and decrease the humus.